


Stolen Goods

by Blue_Sparkle



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: And Nori is stealing things, Gen, Humor, In which Bofur enjoys a day off, M/M, and flirts like a seven year old child, except for Dwalin's but we're not asking for his opinion here, much to everyone's amusement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 04:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bofur enjoys a quiet day, Nori is stealing things and his idea of social interactions and flirting is equal to that of a child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stolen Goods

It was still quite early in the afternoon and the pub Bofur was sitting in wasn’t yet crowded enough to keep one from loitering around in a corner. He hadn’t drunk much from his beer yet, as he had no idea how much time he’d have to spend alone at his table and he didn’t feel like getting drunk already. Instead he busied himself with his small woodcarving knife and a piece of wood to pass the time.

Nori had suggested the meeting point, but with him one couldn’t be sure whether he wouldn’t suddenly disappear for a few days or even months, so Bofur wasn’t really concerned about whether his friend would make an appearance or not. It wouldn’t be too bad if he didn’t, Bofur didn’t have anything else to do at the moment, and simply enjoying some beer and carving a new toy was a nice pastime as well.

He was just flipping away some splinters from the block of wood to examine the already recognizable head of a boar, when someone dropped into the empty chair by his side. Bofur glanced to the side, and as expected Nori was sitting there, grinning and excited because of something.

“Oh hello Bofur” he exclaimed and banged his forehead against the side of Bofur’s head, too abuzz to aim properly, then he turned around on his chair and tossed a coin to the innkeeper to order a drink.

Bofur gave him a long look and raised his eyebrows. The way the narrow shoulders of his friend were quivering and the way he was grinning like a madman could only mean that Nori either had done something rather stupid or was still planning to do so.

“Out with it, what did you do this time?” Bofur asked with feigned seriousness. He didn’t approve of everything Nori was doing, but that was just the way he was. He had always liked to break the law and even when they were still just children he had gotten the most trouble (when he was caught that is). But as long as nobody was harmed Bofur didn’t care; he even was amused by all of it sometimes. 

Nori grinned at him then he pulled something from his pocket and dropped it on the table. Bofur leaned closer to get a better look at the thing then he gave the thief a surprised look.

“Is this jewellery?” he asked. “But that’s not the sort of thing you usually go for?”

“Yeees, but it’s pretty!”

Bofur carefully picked it up while Nori received his drink. It really was a pretty thing, made out of a dark but beautiful silver alloy, decorated with tiny green gems and engravings. A bunch of separate pieces were connected by a net of chains in way that made it possible to wear the jewel in various ways, most likely in ones hair and beard but also as a necklace.

“It does look quite valuable, and it’s probably old, too, at least two hundred years I guess.”

“And I will drink to that! Such a good catch must be celebrated!” Nori raised his jug and took a big gulp, his grin still as wide as it was when he had arrived.

“Do you know how much it’s worth?”

“A lot, I would say.”

Bofur gaped. He usually would never steal something of which he wasn’t sure how much coins he would get for it, or if he didn’t want it for himself or his brothers. And most certainly not something as big and conspicuous as this jewel.

The thief was still shifting around on his chair and was tugging at his sleeve. Bofur gave him a suspicious stare and turned back to the jewellery.

“The gems are emeralds, but not from any mine I’ve heard of. Probably from the East. Could be an heirloom.”

Nori nodded and kicked against the table’s legs. He waved his hand for Bofur to proceed. “It belonged to his mam or something. Most certainly really.” He looked very pleased with himself as he said that.

Bofur rolled his eyes and brushed his fingers over the edgings.

“Well, I’m really not an expert for jewellery…”

“Doesn’t matter, I don’t need a professional for that.”

“Hmm, you sure? If you want to tout it you should know about these sort of things… oh well, it’s your spoils after all.” Bofur shrugged. He really did not care for what Nori wanted to do with the thing, or how little money he would get, even if such a pretty thing would surely be sourly missed by its previous owners. 

“Judging by its age it might even be from Erebor-“ he glanced over to Nori and the thief nodded. “And if it’s from Erebor it’s gonna be worth a lot. And its previous owners will be even madder at you, so watch out! I really don’t want to bring your remnants home, Dori’s gonna murder me for it.”

Nori waved him off unruffled.

“Nah, Dori’ll leave you alone and to rip me apart one must catch me first.” The thief’s good mood was starting to worry Bofur, Nori usually wasn’t _this_ wired when he was already done causing mischief. 

He was turning around frequently and looked over towards the door. Bofur could only shake his head and try to ignore the fidgeting. It started to look like everything would transpire as it had in their childhood. Nori would steal something that he really should have left lying, and then he would get beat up and later present Bofur his bruises full of pride and tell him how bad the others looked like after the fight.

Bofur traced the engravings and green gems with his fingers and frowned, The patterns looked very familiar, even though he had never held anything with these gravures in his hands, but where had he…  
All at once he realized what they were and he made an exasperated groan.

“Nori…”

“Yes, my friend?”

“Nori please tell me that you didn’t steal a piece of jewellery from someone of the line of Durin?”

“No well- yes?”

“Nori you fool! This doesn’t look like it belongs to the main branches of the line, but have you gone completely mad? You do realize that they won’t send simple guards when they find out who has done this. They will send someone who’s really good at their job and is able to catch up with you.”

Nori laughed as Bofur tossed the jewel back on the table.

“I know I know. I even left a note so there will be no doubts. I used to belong to his mother, I’ve heard how Ori waxing on about it.”

Bofur stared dumbfounded at his friend.

“Mahal, you really know have neither fear nor common sense in you. And what does Ori have to do with it?”

“My little one is apprentice of a family member” Nori said with pride. “And he overheard some things.”

Bofur considered who the Dwarf in question might be.

“Now wait a minute… You don’t mean… Fundin’s Son? Balin? But that means you-“

“Exactly.”

“You stole from Dwalin? Chief of the Guard? Veteran of Azanulbizar? Oh man, you got yourself into some trouble with that. he will chase you himself.”

“And it’s also personal” said Nori with a disconcertingly cheerful smile and glanced back towards the door again.

“You really don’t want to sell this, do you?”

“No no, I don’t need the money now, and he can fetch it if he likes and can catch me.”

Bofur watched him for a while, then he rolled his eyes and took a sip from his beer. He should have known, Nori had already liked to do these things as a child. He would steal something small from the older boy to tease him about it, before he’d have to flee through half of the city. Most of the time their older brothers would prevent them from getting into a serious fistfight and sometimes Nori would put the stolen things back after a while, just because he enjoyed seeing Dwalin all angry like that.

“You are aware of the fact that normal Dwarves can start conversations without stealing old heirlooms right away, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but where’s the fun in that? And it’s funny to see how he shouts at me while he’s trying to climb the roofs I’m on.”

“You want him to catch up with you?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Just a though. And somebody must teach you how to flirt properly eventually.”

Nori gave him a sharp eye, while Bofur turned his head und smirked into his jug. Before the thief could reply the door of the inn slammed against the wall and somebody was shouting his name angrily. 

“Oops” Nori said with a laugh, and in one single fluid motion he snatched the jewel, stuffed it back into his pocket and was dashing away to dive out of the window.

“Not a second later Dwalin was storming around the corner.

“Stay here you damned thief!” he roared after Nori and followed him – much less elegantly – through the window.

The tavern was quiet for a few moments, but then the people returned to their conversations. Bofur rolled his eyes again and pulled Nori’s abandoned jug closer to himself. One of these days this game of cat-and-mouse would either end with serious injuries or with a new member of Fundin’s family 

(Whereat Bofur had already places his money on the later.)

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this in German, just to see if I can, and translated it later ^^'  
> I've been having a lot of Bofur&Nori and Dwalin/Nori feelings lately, and if I can come up with a title or more headcanons I'd try to write more about their childhood and youth.  
> I'm not really sure how to write Dwalin and Nori yet either...


End file.
